A Shared Future

A Shared Future

A report of the Greater Manchester Tackling Hateful Extremism and Promoting Social Cohesion Commission

EMBARGOED UNTIL NOON, MONDAY 30 JULY, 2018

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

1

Table of Appendices

2

Introduction to A Shared Future by Cllr. Rishi Shori

3

1. Executive Summary

4

2. Introduction

15

3. The Greater Manchester Context

18

4. Defining Social Cohesion and Hateful Extremism

21

5. Hateful Extremism in Greater Manchester

23

The Greater Manchester Response to Hateful Extremism

24

Greater Manchester's Response to the Manchester Arena Attack

28

Conclusion

29

6. Informing the Commission

31

7. What are the broader determinants of social exclusion and how can we work

33

collectively to address them?

Introduction

33

What factors contribute to hateful extremism?

33

Social exclusion across Greater Manchester

35

How can we strategically take a "what works" approach from communities that 37

are well integrated, cohesive and supportive?

What is the role of the business community in promoting a more cohesive

43

Greater Manchester?

Conclusion

49

Recommendations

50

8. How do we develop a distinctive community-led Greater Manchester approach 52

to challenging hateful extremism?

Introduction

52

What would a distinctive community-led Greater Manchester approach to

52

challenging hateful extremism (of all kinds) look like?

How can we effectively facilitate conversations about hateful extremism at a 59

community level and how can we involve more people in these conversations?

What would be an appropriate means of working with children and young

62

people as part of such an approach?

What has been learned from the Rethinking Radicalisation and RADEQUAL (in 70

the City of Manchester) programmes and other innovative approaches in the

metropolitan districts of Greater Manchester about engaging the community

about building communities' capacity to counter-extremism and safeguard

young people? How might this work be built on in the future?

Conclusion

73

Recommendations

73

9. Would a Greater Manchester Charter be an effective way to promote social

75

cohesion?

Conclusion

77

Recommendations

78

10. Consider how Prevent operates in Greater Manchester across all agencies

79

Introduction

79

How do we effectively educate people on the positive safeguarding work that 81

Prevent does and what the remit of the programme is? This includes how it

differs from other areas of Counter Terrorism.

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How can we work with communities to ensure that individuals, their families

87

and the wider community's, experience of Prevent is a positive one, and not

one that is perceived as a threat or pursuit?

How do we reassure communities that it is safe to report or discuss behaviour 90

that they are concerned about?

How do we feedback to communities what happens to the information that is 92

reported?

How do we ensure a more consistent and proportionate approach to Channel 93

across Greater Manchester?

Recommendations

94

11. Concluding remarks

96

Overarching recommendations

96

12. References

99

Table of Appendices

Appendix A: Terms of Reference for the Greater Manchester Preventing Hateful

110

Extremism and Promoting Social Cohesion Commission

Appendix B: Results from the online survey

112

Appendix C: Organisations involved in the engagement sessions

121

Appendix D: Outcomes information for hate crimes reported to Greater Manchester 123

Police in 2017/18

Disclaimer

All case studies used in this report are based on genuine case examples from Greater Manchester. Some details may have been changed in order to protect the identity(ies) of the person(s) involved.

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Introduction to A Shared Future by Cllr Rishi Shori

I am pleased to be able to introduce A Shared Future, a report of the Greater Manchester Preventing Hateful Extremism and Promoting Social Cohesion Commission. This is an important piece of work that I hope will help us to shape a better future for Greater Manchester. It has asked some difficult questions and we have listened to the answers. Over the past six months the Commission has been consulting with those who live, work and visit Greater Manchester, alongside wider academic research to help shape this report. This was an extensive piece of work, where thousands of people and organisations from across Greater Manchester told us of their experiences of living in our city-region and their ideas about how to build a cohesive society. The responses we received were really informative, helping us to build a picture of how people feel about their communities and what life is like across the city-region. Many people told us about what makes Greater Manchester great, but there was a wide agreement that there is still much more that needs to be done. While people want to be involved in their communities, we have heard that they are often hindered to do so by a lack of community spaces, and a reduction in public and community services has led to people feeling increasingly isolated and with fewer ways to be involved in their area. This report has set out some specific recommendations that can help improve cohesion within Greater Manchester. But change cannot be driven by public services alone, it has to be done in partnerships with our residents, businesses, volunteers and faith groups. There is a lot to be done, but we have firm foundations on which to build in Greater Manchester. This report is for the people of Greater Manchester, and I hope its recommendations help us all to work together towards a shared future of hope.

Cllr Rishi Shori Chair of the Preventing Hateful Extremism and Promoting Social Cohesion Commission GMCA Portfolio Lead for Young People and Social Cohesion Leader of Bury Council

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1. Executive Summary

Background to the Commission

1.1 The terrorist attack at the Manchester Arena on 22nd May 2017 claimed the lives of 22 people, with hundreds more experiencing physical and mental injuries; the incident will forever shape the history of Greater Manchester. However, the spirit, unity and resilience of the people of Greater Manchester shown in the aftermath of such tragedy has been widely commended.

1.2 In spite of the overwhelming community spirit that followed the Manchester Arena attack, an increase in fear and intolerance was seen across the city-region. In the weeks following, Greater Manchester Police reported a 130% rise in hate crime, including a 500% rise in Islamophobic related hate crime.

1.3 In light of these events, Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, announced that an independent group of experts would be convened to consider how to tackle hateful extremism, social exclusion and radicalisation across Greater Manchester. The Commission would promote and build on the positive and unified response to the Arena Attack. The aim of the Commission was to identify, disseminate and build on existing excellent work already established across Greater Manchester, nationally and internationally in the area of countering extremism and social cohesion, as well as to identify gaps in knowledge and provision, and highlight opportunities to expand on, or unify, the high-quality work ongoing across the city-region. This would be achieved by considering academic research, existing policy and reviews from local, national and international work, as well as embarking on a comprehensive engagement programme.

1.4 The Commission was chaired by Cllr Rishi Shori, Leader of Bury Council, and supported by Joanne Roney, the Chief Executive of Manchester City Council, and six Commissioners who were appointed in an independent capacity, offering a wide range of knowledge and expertise in their respective areas of interest.

Nazir Afzal OBE, former Chief Crown Prosecutor for North West England and formerly Director of the Crown Prosecution Service in London.

Saima Alvi, leads on teaching Religious Education at a Greater Manchester secondary school and Vice Chair of the British Muslim Heritage Centre.

Shalni Arora, an entrepreneur and the Founder and CEO of the charity Savannah Wisdom.

Nigel Bromage, Founder of Small Steps Consultants Ltd, which aims to raise awareness and educate people about the threat of far right extremism across the UK.

Professor Hilary Pilkington, Professor of Sociology at the University of Manchester and Fellow of the UK Academy of Social Sciences. She is currently coordinator of the H2020 DARE (Dialogue about Radicalisation and Equality) project.

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